Instituting a departmental inquiry against former Mumbai police commissioner Ranjit Singh Sharma, who has been indicted by the Special Investigative Team of the Maharashtra police in the fake stamp paper scandal, the state government has charged him with contravening the All-India Service (Conduct) Rules by not maintaining absolute integrity and devotion to his duties.

On November 25, Sharma was served a charge sheet, which mentions the following shortcomings on his part:

* On July 9, 2002, the additional commissioner of police (crime) and joint commissioner of police scuttled a proposal to apply the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act in a case registered by the Pune police, then headed by Sharma, with his knowledge.

* ACP (crime) had brought to Sharma's notice in writing on October 16, 2002, the inclusion and deletion of certain names from the charge sheet (against prime accused Abdul Karim Telgi) without rational correlation with evidence on record. Yet he did not look at the case papers personally.

* Subsequently, Sharma failed to discipline both officers and also did nothing to rectify the defects in the charge sheet even after October 16, 2002.

* Sharma did not remove ACP M C Mulani from the investigating team formed on September 6, 2002, even after being informed by then additional secretary (home) Asoke Basak that Mulani had demanded a bribe from Telgi.

* While serving as Pune police commissioner, he failed to restore command and control when there was a dispute between the additional commissioner (crime) and the investigating officer (in the Telgi case).

* Subodh Jaiswal and Sri Kumar, top officers of the SIT in Maharashtra and Karnataka, respectively, had personally briefed Sharma about Telgi enjoying the comforts of his home in Cuffe Parade in Mumbai when they raided the place on January 9, 2003. At the time, Sharma was Mumbai police chief. He orally ordered the suspension of Assistant Police Inspector Dilip Kamat, but failed to ensure compliance of his orders.

* Sharma failed to take any action when serving as chairman of the Special Task Force formed to track down cases registered against Telgi in Mumbai. Sharma was then the Mumbai police commissioner. The Pune police had provided information about these cases to his deputy, then joint commissioner of police (crime) S S Vagal.

* As Mumbai police chief, Sharma failed to take charge of the situation and purge contaminated elements in the department even after Jaiswal and Sri Kumar personally briefed him.

* Sri Kumar had informed Sharma about the bail granted to Telgi in the fake stamp paper cases registered in Mumbai. Sharma merely acknowledged Sri Kumar's letter, which later went to Vagal.

* Sharma failed to promptly neutralise the functionaries responsible for allowing Telgi to get bail on flimsy grounds.

The charge sheet said Sharma failed to exercise himself to the utmost both as commissioner of police in Mumbai and, earlier, Pune. His approach and response to specific and strong signals regarding subversion by the crime syndicate allegedly headed by Telgi were not professional and not of the quality expected of an officer of his accomplishment, standing and position. "He is therefore guilty of dereliction of duty, poor professional response, and failure to personally intervene and take immediate correctives in several such situations," the charge sheet said.